permagardenfandomcom-20200214-history
Chicken
Chickens; chickens; chicken bird; livestock meat; eggs; fat; manure; fertiliser; heat; insectivore; digger !! Terminology "pullet" = 1 year old chicken "broiler" = about 2-3 lb, 10 weeks old "fryer" = 14-15 weeks old Originally native to Malaysian rainforest. difficult to keep out of the vege garden keep them in a high-fenced straw yard and keep the litter deep to keep them happy. not good around citrus as they scratch up the roots Flock size etc: Never keep more than 20 as they cannot recognise more than this many chooks, and social structure breaks down {woodrow-phg} A dozen at the most {seymour-cbss} Housing: Chicken run aka straw yard Or consider Chicken tractor Must always have access to: * Food * Fresh water * Dust baths * Sharp grit !! Feed for adult chickens !!! The Worthington method {seymour-ssg}: Allow hens ample green stuff, and give them access to some whole grain (wheat, oats, barley etc) and some high protein food: fish meal, soy meal, chickpeas, cracked beans, meat meal. Must feed them in a "Worthington hopper" ({seymour-ssg} p231) Allow them to eat _ad libitum_ and they will not overeat and remain in good health. They will generally eat 128g wheat + 14g protein per day. * Food scraps! * grains soaked for 3-4 days in milk or water (sprouting grains increases nutritional value), or bought mixed grain -- scatter 1/2 handful per bird around their enclosure. * cracked corn * comfrey, vetch * Forage paddock * Dried nettle * Seaweed meal * Insects, Slugs and snails, Worms, Fish * Good fly catchers * Hang meat or roadkill - chickens will eat flies and maggots * Curds * {baxter-kgg} feeds crushed & dried eggshell back to chickens * {woodrow-phg} says eggshell is OK as long as it is crushed so as not to look like a whole egg * also have forage available of course Produce: Chicken manure Eggs During the year: hatch in spring, new chicks start laying by May often "go off the lay" in summer feb: sell/kill perhaps half your adult chickens now -- the young chicks from last spring will replace them. Eat roosters, sell pullets. mar: continue thinning flock in preparation for winter apr: continue thinning flock in preparation for winter jul: refresh diatomaceous earth in dust bath aug: check for "scaly leg" -- treat with neem oil, see {baxter-kgg} p76 sep: time to get your first chickens !! Breeds {baxter-kgg} p215 discussion of light and heavy breeds Good layers: * white leghorn * brown shaver (predominant commercial layer in NZ) Good "meat birds": * Cornish rock * Australorp * Buckeye * Dorking * Java * Rhode island red * Jersey Giant "Balanced" * Aracauna (blue eggs) !! Raising chicks {baxter-kgg} p218 Keep warm with refilled hot water bottle or lamp (red lamp is better than white light -- seems to reduce incidence of birds "picking" on other birds) Use newspaper for bedding at first Once they are eating ok, can be replaced with shavings etc Shallow water container -- chicks are prone to drowning * they may need to be taught where the water is by dipping their beaks in it. Feed with: * {baxter-kgg}: ground grains, sunflower seed, curds, chopped greens: clover, watercress, plantain, comfrey, dandelion, dill, wormwood, fennel, puha, lambs quarters * {backwoods}: "chick starter" + some grits Temp needs to be kept at 92--95F for first week, then reduce by 5F/week for 4 weeks, then ready to go outside !! Chicken diseases Scaly leg Coccidiosis Upper respiratory tract infection Impacted crop Egg-bound Marek's disease !! Broody hen * Don't fight it (provided the eggs are fertile) * If she is in a nest box, hang a piece of canvas over the door so other hens don't bother her * Offer food and water every day * When chicks hatch, they won't need food/water for 24 hours. * After that, offer water in a shallow dish 3x/day and leave food in the front of the nest for them. Category:Animal